Arrests are being made 'to expand DNA files'

Police are routinely arresting people simply to record their DNA profiles on the national database, according to a report published today.

It also states that three quarters of young black men are on the database. The finding risks stigmatising a whole section of society, the equality
watchdog has warned.

The revelations will fuel the debate about the DNA database, the world’s largest. They are included in a report by the Human Genetics Commission, an
independent government advisory body. It criticises the piecemeal development of the database and questions how effective it is in helping the police
to investigate and solve crimes.

We all suspected this was the case, but now this reports seems to confirm it.

People are being arrested for the most ridiculous crimes. innocuous situations that once would have led to a telling off or a warning are now dealt
with as if the very security of the country is at stake!

Chief constables are to carry on refusing requests to delete the DNA profiles of arrested people released without charge, while a fresh political
battle is waged over how long the details should remain on the database.

Home Office ministers confirmed they want to see the DNA profiles of innocent people kept on the national database for six years, after failing
to persuade parliament to back a longer period of up to 12 years for the most serious offences.

Yeah i have heard about this. People getting arrested for the most petty things and told they wold be let go shold they give up a DNA sample.
I see this working out two ways.
1. They just start solving cold cases off of new DNA
2. With more people added to the DNA data-bases the chance of having people that share matching DNA becomes greater and would be enough have people
using that as a defense. When you start seeing more and more matches the DNA evidence will become less and less credible.

Originally posted by zaiger
Yeah i have heard about this. People getting arrested for the most petty things and told they wold be let go shold they give up a DNA sample.
I see this working out two ways.
1. They just start solving cold cases off of new DNA
2. With more people added to the DNA data-bases the chance of having people that share matching DNA becomes greater and would be enough have people
using that as a defense. When you start seeing more and more matches the DNA evidence will become less and less credible.

Yes, there is an argument for increasing the DNA database to solve more crimes.

For instance if I commit a crime and leave a sample, I could be tracked from a sample my brother gave when arrested for littering! (hypothetical, I
have no brother!)

But I'm firmly of the belief that this is a distant secondary reason behind just wanting us all on a database eventually, what for? God only
knows!

This article speaks for itself. It seems British law enforcement officers are arresting people just for the sake of obtaining more DNA samples from
the general population. How this type of behaviour can be allowed and accepted in a Western nation is rather frightening. How on Earth can police get
away with this?

One can see the benefits of having a comprehensive DNA database, but this is taking it way too far. It is basically mandatory fingerprinting.
Jaywalking, spitting your gum on the road and swearing in public might result in your DNA profile being uploaded to a centralised network. Considering
the number of CCTV cameras and now this, Britain seems ever-closer to establishing an official Police State.

People in Britain need to make LOTS of noise over this. If you sit back and allow this form of mandatory fingerprinting to proceed, what will
happen in the future?

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